One of the chambers on the Stena Immaculate, containing 17,515 barrels of jet fuel, exploded on impact, setting fire to both vessels, which then burned for several days before fire crews were able to control the blaze. The U.S. owners of the tanker, Crowley, hailed the “heroic action” of the sailors who, it said, ensured cooling systems were switched on before abandoning ship, possibly saving the rest of the cargo tanks from catching alight.
On Saturday, Vladimir Motin, the 59-year-old Russian captain of the Solong, appeared in Hull magistrates court charged with gross negligence manslaughter. He did not enter a plea. The Crown Prosecution Service also released the name of Mark Angelo Pernia, the 38-year-old Filipino sailor on the Solong killed in the collision.
Beyond the damage to the vessels themselves and possible compensation for Pernia’s family, it is also not known what the cost of the environmental clean up will be. Crowley said it was “fully committed” to “environmental remediation” — but who ultimately pays for the clean up will depend on who is found to be at fault for the collision. Past MAIB investigations have taken several months, and in some cases years, before findings were published.
Motin, who is from St. Petersburg, is due to appear at the Old Bailey criminal court in London on April 14.
Pollution risk
On Monday, the U.K. coastguard said “a sheen” had been sighted on the ocean surface “that we now know to be plastic nurdles.” Nurdles are pellets of plastic used in the production of plastic products. Some had begun washing up on British shorelines, the coastguard said. They can present a risk to wildlife if eaten.
Other debris from the collision may also have begun washing up on local beaches. A bright blue barrel washed ashore at Cleethorpes, just east of Grimsby, on Friday. The coastguard cordoned off the area.
